Agnes

Agnes Carlsson, known simply as Agnes, was born on 6 March 1988 in Vänersborg. She is a Swedish pop, R&B and dance singer who rose to fame by winning the second season of the TV competition Idol in 2005. In spring 2005, at 17, she auditioned for Idol in Gothenburg performing Varje Gång Jag Ser Dig by Lisa Nilsson; her powerful voice impressed the judges. Although she was not initially among the eleven finalists and failed to qualify via the “wildcard” round, the judges selected her as their choice for the final. She then won over the public and the jury each week, never appearing at risk, and ultimately beat finalist Sebastian Karlsson. Immediately after her victory she signed with Sony BMG. Her debut single, Right Here Right Now, was released and debuted at number one in Sweden, remaining there for six weeks and certified double platinum for 40,000 copies. Her self-titled album Agnes, released on 19 December 2005, also entered at number one for two consecutive weeks; it sold over 90,000 copies in Sweden, received double platinum and became the best-selling album by a former Idol contestant. In March 2006 her second single, Stranded, reached only number 27; in August 2006 her third single, Kick Back Relax, was unveiled and, released in September as the lead single from her second album, narrowly missed the top of the singles chart. With more than 160,000 albums sold in her country, Agnes became one of Sweden’s most popular and best-selling female singers.